Eddie Murphy Biography

Eddie Murphy (born on April 3, 1961, Brooklyn, New York) is an American
comedian, singer and actor.

Biography

Eddie Murphy began his comedy career at the young age of 19, as a performer on
NBC's Saturday Night Live television show after graduating from Roosevelt
Junior-Senior High School. His characters include a parody of Buckwheat from the
Little Rascals and of Fred Rogers. Former SNL writer Margaret Oberman has said
Murphy and Bill Murray are the two most talented people in the history of the
show. Murphy left the show midway through the 1983-1984 season, appearing in
filmed sketches for the remainder of that season.

Eddie Murphy later starred in many comedies including the Beverly Hills Cop
series, for which he was recognised by receiving a Golden Globe nomination for
best actor in a comedy for his performance in Beverly Hills Cop, as well as
Trading Places, and Coming to America in subsequent years.

He is a well-known voice actor and voiced Donkey in the Shrek series and the
dragon, Mushu, in Disney's Mulan. Murphy also has starred in a vast number of
sequels including: Beverly Hills Cop II (1987), Another 48 Hrs. (1990), Beverly
Hills Cop III (1994), Dr. Dolittle 2 (2001), Nutty Professor II: The Klumps
(2000), Shrek 2 (2004), and the upcoming Dreamgirls (2006) and Shrek 3 (2007).

In many of his films, he plays multiple roles in addition to his main character.
A perfect example of this is The Nutty Professor, a remake of the Jerry Lewis
classic in which Murphy plays several members of the Klump family as well as
Sherman Klump's arrogant alter ego, Buddy Love. Another trademark of Eddie
Murphy's is his deep, infectious, albeit considerably goofy laugh.

In a 2005 poll to find The Comedian's Comedian, he was voted amongst the top 50
comedy acts ever by fellow comedians and comedy insiders. Eddie-Murphy's older
brother, Charlie Murphy, is also an actor, best known recently for his
appearances on Chappelle's Show.

Murphy's biological father died when he was quite young, and he, his brother
Charlie, and step-brother Vernon Jr. were raised by his mother Lillian Murphy, a
telephone-company employee, and his stepfather Vernon Lynch, a foreman at a
Breyers Ice Cream plant. Murphy was a bright child, who spent a great deal of
time on impressions and comedy stand-up routines rather than academics. His
comic talent was evident from an early age, and by 15 he was writing and
performing his own routines at youth centers and local bars, as well as at the
Roosevelt High School auditorium. Eventually, he made it to a Manhattan
showcase, The Comic Strip. The club's co-owners, Robert Wachs and Richard
Tienken, were so impressed with Murphy's ability to make dead-on impressions of
celebrities, along with his overall outlooks on life, that they agreed to manage
his career.

Eddie Murphy was voted "Most Popular" while attending Roosevelt Junior-Senior High
School in Roosevelt, New York, due to the stand-up comedy routines he would
perform in the school's auditorium, and jokes he would tell classmates during
lunch. Murphy then attended Nassau Community College in Uniondale, New York,
before beginning his acting career.

Murphy did stand-up comedy at the same Bay Area Comedy Club as Robin Williams
and Whoopi Goldberg (who at the time was working under her real name, Caryn
Johnson). His early comedy was racy, akin to Richard Pryor, whom Murphy credits
as his inspiration to enter comedy. Characterized by frequent swearing and
making fun of gays, singers, and others, Murphy became, in a sense, the Pryor of
the 1980s, though Pryor wrote in his biography that he always thought Murphy's
comedy was a little too mean. Murphy made vicious comments about gays and AIDS
during his 80's standup routines, so vicious that some years later he apologized
for the remarks. At the height of his popularity, Eddie-Murphy appeared in the
concert films Delirious (1983) and Raw (1987). Delirious contained an infamous
routine in which he depicted characters Ralph Kramden and Ed Norton from The
Honeymooners, as well as other notables such as Mr. T, as homos--uals. In 1983,
Murphy won a Grammy for his comedy album Comedian.

In Autumn 1980, the then unknown 19-year-old Murphy badgered and begged talent
coordinator Neil Levy to give him a shot on the show. Levy repeatedly rejected
him, saying that the show already had a full cast. But Murphy continuing
pleading with Levy, saying that he had several siblings banking on him getting a
spot on the show. Levy finally conceded and allowed him an audition. The
audition performance went so well, that Neil Levy then began advocating to new
executive producer Jean Doumanian (who succeeded Lorne Michaels after the
1979-1980 season) to let Murphy on the show. Doumanian initially refused, citing
that another actor, Robert Townsend, had already been selected as the cast's
"token black guy," and that the show's shrunken budget could not allow for any
more actors. Doumanian's mind was changed after seeing Murphy's audition for
themselves, then Doumanian too began pleading with the network to allow Murphy
on the show. NBC only agreed after it was determined that Townsend had not yet
signed a contract, at which point Murphy was cast as a featured player.

Eddie Murphy made his debut in the second episode of the 1980-1981 season,
hosted by Malcolm McDowell, as an extra in a skit called "In Search Of The Negro
Republican". Two weeks later, Murphy had his first speaking role as Raheem Abdul
Muhummad on Weekend Update. He made such a positive impression that he was
called on for more in later episodes, and was soon raised to the status full
cast member.

Despite Eddie-Murphy's participation, the 1980-1981 season ultimately proved such a
disaster that NBC fired Jean Doumanian and everybody in the cast, with the
exception of Murphy and Joe Piscopo. Whereas Murphy had rarely been featured
during Doumanian's tenure, he became a break-out star under Doumanian's
replacement, Dick Ebersol. Murphy's soaring popularity helped restore the show's
ratings. He created some of the period's best characters, including the
empty-headed former child movie star Buckwheat and an irascible, life-size
version of the Gumby toy character, complete with life-size star ego. Murphy
could also pull off an uncanny impression of Stevie Wonder (who, sportingly,
appeared in a fake ad for Polaroid cameras). SNL was mostly a two-man show from
1981–1984, with Murphy and Piscopo playing a bulk of the lead characters. All
other cast members played supporting roles and were treated with very little
patience by the producers.

In 1982, Murphy made his big screen debut in the cop-buddy thriller 48 Hrs.
alongside Nick Nolte. The movie was perhaps most notable for a scene involving
Murphy (on a bet with Nolte) terrorizing a redneck bar. 48 Hrs. proved to be a
smash hit when it was released in the Christmas season of 1982. Murphy and
Nolte's comedic and antagonistic chemistry, alongside Murphy's believable
performance as a streetwise convict aiding a bitter, aging cop, won over critics
and audiences. 48 Hrs. is considered by some to be the originator of the now
tried and true mismatched, police, action-adventure formula, which was followed
by the likes of Lethal Weapon, Bad Boys, and Rush Hour.

Nick Nolte was scheduled to host the December 11, 1982 Christmas episode of
Saturday Night Live, but he became too ill to host, so Murphy took over as host.
He became the only cast member to host while still a regular. Murphy opened the
show with the phrase, "Live from New York, It's the Eddie-Murphy host was reported to have upset the rest of the
cast.

The following year, Murphy co-starred with fellow SNL alumnus Dan Aykroyd in
Trading Places. The movie marked the first of Murphy's collaborations with
director John Landis (who also directed Murphy in Coming to America and Beverly
Hills Cop III) and proved to be an even greater box office success than 48 Hrs.

In 1984, Murphy starred in the mega-hit Beverly Hills Cop. This film was
arguably Eddie-Murphy's first full-fledged starring vehicle, as it was
originally intended to star Sylvester
Stallone. Beverly Hills Cop grossed over $200 million at the box office
(thus, solidifying Murphy's status as a box office player) and when adjusted for
inflation, remained in the top 40 highest-grossing movies of all time as of
2005.

Also in 1984, Murphy appeared in Best Defense co-starring Dudley Moore. Murphy,
who was credited as a "Strategic Guest Star", was added to the film after an
original version was completed but tested poorly with audiences. Best Defense
was a major critical and financial disappointment, but Murphy was for the most
part left unscathed since the entire weight of the movie wasn't on his
shoulders.

Eddie Murphy has also been rumored to be initially a part of hits such as
Ghostbusters (featuring his Trading Places co-star Dan Aykroyd and fellow SNL
alumnus Bill Murray). The part that was originally written with Murphy in mind
ultimately went to Ernie Hudson. Murphy was also rumored to have been offered a
part in 1986's Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, a role that ultimately went to 7th
Heaven star Catherine Hicks.

Also in 1986, Eddie-Murphy starred in the supernatural comedy, The Golden Child. The
Golden Child was originally intended to be a serious adventure picture starring
Mel Gibson. After Gibson turned the role down, the project was offered to Murphy
as it was subsequently rewritten as a partial comedy. Although The Golden Child
still managed to be a hit (with memorable bits such as Murphy's "I want the
knife!" routine), the movie wasn't as critically acclaimed as 48 Hrs., Trading
Places, and Beverly Hills Cop. The Golden Child was perhaps a radical change of
pace for Murphy considering the supernatural setting (which is ironic
considering that he was offered a part in the more favorable Ghostbusters) as
opposed to the more gritty and/or "street smart" settings of Murphy's previous
efforts.

A year later, Eddie-Murphy reprised his role Axel Foley in the Tony
Scott-directed Beverly Hills Cop II. Although the film wasn't as critically
acclaimed as its 1984 predecessor (Beverly Hills Cop II was trashed by critics
for its perceived misogyny, general mean-spirited tone, and overall ridiculous
plot), it was still a box office smash, grossing over $150 million. Producers
reportedly wanted to turn the Beverly Hills Cop franchise into a weekly
television series. Murphy declined the TV offer, but was willing to do a film
sequel instead.

Eddie Murphy was one of the last movie actors to sign an exclusive contract with
a studio. In this case, it was Paramount Pictures, which released all of his
early films.

Eddie Murphy was also a singer, and had two hit singles, "Party All the Time"
(which was produced by Rick James) and "Put Your Mouth on Me" in the 1980s. The
former is better known than the other, and is incorrectly considered Murphy's
only hit. Intended as dance music, the song was repetitious and resembled the
adolescent-driven bubblegum music of the '60s and '70s. As a result, there was a
distinct disconnect between "Party" and fans of Murphy's edgier comedic persona.
In 2004, VH-1 and Blender magazine voted "Party" number seven among the "50
Worst Songs of All Time," barely behind such efforts as Vanilla Ice's "Ice, Ice,
Baby" and Billy Ray Cyrus' "Achy, Breaky Heart."

Murphy also recorded an album in the early 1990s, entitled "Love's Alright" in
which he performed in a video of the single "Whatzupwitu", alongside Michael
Jackson. In 1999, the "Whatzupwitu" video which featured Murphy and Jackson in a
technicolor-like dream world was voted as one of the 25 worst music videos in
the MTV era. In 1992, Murphy also appeared in Michael Jackson's "Remember the
Time" video alongside fellow celebrities Magic Johnson and Iman. In 1994, he
attempted to strike a deal with British A&R consultant
Simon Cowell, who at the time was known
for signing up Sinitta, the Power Rangers and Zig Zag, but eventually backed
down.

Although uncredited, Murphy also provided vocal work on SNL castmate Joe
Piscopo's hit comedy single, "The Honeymooners Rap". Piscopo impersonated Jackie
Gleason on the single, while Murphy provided an imitation of Art Carney.

Eddie Murphy's singing skills were put to good use in the Shrek films. In the
first film, he performed a version of "I'm a Believer" in the film's final
scene; in Shrek 2 he performed Ricky Martin's hit Livin' La Vida Loca along with
co-star Antonio Banderas.

In the late 80's and early 90's, Murphy's fame was fading via a series of poor
sequels (Another 48 Hrs. and Beverly Hills Cop III), drab comedies (Boomerang
and The Distinguished Gentleman), and ego-driven vehicles (Harlem Nights and
Vampire in Brooklyn) that the public avoided in droves. His directorial debut,
Harlem Nights, was savaged not only by the critics, but also by several of the
actors in the film. Richard Pryor had
nothing good to say about the film or the star, which stunned Murphy, who had
considered Pryor an idol. Murphy was also criticized tremendously by filmmaker
Spike Lee for not using his show business stature to help black actors break
into film.

Perhaps the lowest point for Murphy was when David Spade insulted Murphy on his
Hollywood Minute segment on Saturday Night Live. With an image of Murphy on
screen, Spade said "Look children, a falling star... Quick, make a wish!"
Although Murphy is one of the biggest movie stars ever to come out of Saturday
Night Live, he has never attended any cast reunions or anniversary specials.
Some believe that it has to do with Murphy feeling that SNL (the show that gave
him his big break) betrayed him with Spade's comments. Others believe it has to
do with Murphy having no allegiance to Lorne Michaels, since Murphy was on SNL
when Dick Ebersol was the executive producer, not Michaels.

Eddie Murphy's career continued to slide until 1996, when he would make his comeback
in family-friendly comedies (likely reflecting Murphy's new life as a
responsible father), starting with The Nutty Professor. His record since then
has been hit and miss, with several big flops (Holy Man, Metro, The Adventures
of Pluto Nash, I Spy, and Showtime) and some hits (Mulan, Dr. Doolittle, Shrek,
Daddy Day Care, and The Haunted Mansion). The biggest news is that Murphy has
been tagged by Quentin Tarantino to star in his World War II epic Inglorious
Bastards. Murphy's rapid fire deliveries are expected to mesh well with
Tarantino's tough dialogue and the role could do wonders for his career.

On May 2, 1997, Los Angeles police stopped Murphy's car and found a transvestite
prostitute named Shalimar (Atisone Seiuli) in the passenger's seat. Buying and
selling of s--ual services is illegal in California; however, Murphy claimed
that he had just been driving through and the prostitute asked him for a ride
home. This incident was later lampooned by Tim Meadows on Saturday Night Live.
This particular sketch, along with the aforementioned comments from David Spade,
reportedly created an even greater rift between Murphy and SNL. Seiuli wrote and
sold the story of his s--ual encounter with Murphy to a tabloid. Afterward, he
recanted, and ultimately, at the time when Murphy was tied up in big budget
G-Rated movies, Seiuli was found dead, having fallen from his apartment
building. Not everyone was convinced , opining that the Los Angeles Police
didn't investigate the matter thoroughly.

Eddie Murphy's longtime romantic relationship was with Nicole Mitchell, who he
met in 1988 at an NAACP Image Awards show. They eventually lived together for a
year and a half, before getting married at the Grand Ballroom of The Plaza Hotel
in New York City on March 18, 1993. They had five children together, but
in August 2005, Mitchell filed for divorce, citing "irreconcilable differences."